CHAPTER 6- NANDU’S KITCHEN - The Srirangam Saga!!!!!!

Nandu dozes of to sleep after the sweet incidences of the night only to be woken up by the knock at her bedroom door and this is at around 6 in the morning. She finds it difficult to actually get to terms as to whether she is at her amma’s place or at her new home. Yes, this does happen to most of the newlyweds and I am sure many of my friends will be able to relate to this.

Nandini is reminded of her home where her amma used to come and wake her up and everytime she called out Nandu……….,  the reply would be “Amma 5 minutes”. We all know the love we have for those 5 minutes of heavenly sleep in the morning and the wonderful feeling. 

She gets up with a startle only to find Sri peacefully sleeping combined with the bang at the door. There are mixed feelings at this point in time, it’s just that he is sleeping peacefully and also that he is sleeping peacefully and she is having to get up.  Sri is totally oblivious of whatever is happening around.  Nandu manages to get the pallu of her saree right and ties her silky hair into a knot. Strands of silky hair falling on her face, the sindoor slightly smudged on her forehead. 

Nandu opens the door and realizes that one anklet (payal) is still lying on the bed.  Though her MIL notices it, she pretends to not have noticed it.  It’s been four months of her wedding and Nandini is quite popular with the vegetable vendor lady named Maali, the dhobi and all the people who make regular rounds to their home.  There are people who just come to meet Sharadamma (her MIL).

Nandu has developed a good rapport with Maali the vegetable vendor and Maali keeps talking about all the usual things happening in her life, how her husband is not very kind to her and things that are happening in her life.  Nandu had been a patient listener to all her woes and there is a connect with Maali.  Maali notices the single anklet and smiles mischievously at Nandini.  Nandu replies in rhetoric “Okay okay now give me bhindi, padval and a bunch of palak”.  The palak is bright green (organic) of course.  Those days we had less of chemicals and pesticides that were added.   Nandu takes the vegetables and gently looks behind, Maali is still standing there smiling at her.

More on Next Chapter 7

Luv

Rekha

CHAPTER 5 – NANDINI’S ROMANTIC NIGHT OUT WITH SRI… - Mesmerisingly Beautiful

The guests have liked whatever Nandini and her MIL managed to make and they are extremely happy with the warmth and hospitality they received from a newly married DIL.  Nandu is happy and happier is Srikanth, her husband.  It is commonly observed that husbands are very happy when their relatives love the new bride and are very happy (the common trait) that is observed in every common household.

As is a common practice, Srikanth goes to drop his mama(uncle) and family to the closest bus stop. He waves out his hand to Nandini that she could also accompany him.  Nandu is confused whether she should just wear her sandals and simply go or should she ask permission from her MIL.  A devoted DIL that she is, she goes to her mamiyaar (MIL) and coyly tells that she is going to the bus stop with Srikanth.  Completely understanding her eagerness to accompany Srikanth, her MIL gives her the green signal, but to come back before it gets too dark. Her reasons for this are that a newly married couple should not be outside till very dark as it is supposed to be a bad omen.

Srikanth and Nandini are very happy to get these beautiful moments together.  Finally the bus arrives after a lot of wait.  Srikanth is relieved and the expressions on his face say it all.  Now he gets to hold Nandu’s hands and walk down the road. He actually does not want to go straight home and tells her that there is a quiet beautiful beach close by and she must definitely see it.  Reluctantly, Nandu agrees because she is reminded of her MIL’s words.  But she badly wants to be with Sri. 

They go to the beach. The atmosphere is romantic and filled with magic,  the cool breeze and most of all the warmth of Sri.  Sri whispers” Nandu, you are looking so beautiful”.  They had never got the opportunity to actually meet many times before marriage and this feels like they are actually out on a date. Nandu was hardly out of college that she got married and so she had never had the opportunity to go out and enjoy with friends. So all this is really very exciting for her.  The breeze and droplets of minor drizzle wet her face and lips and Nandu looks heavenly in the simple saree that she is wearing.  He manages to wrap his hands and he gently kisses her.  Nandu is loving every moment and wishes that time stood STILL with just Sri and her. She is also embarrassed of having got kissed in the open but luckily there’s no one around.  It was already beginning to get dark and they had to get back home to enjoy more beautiful moments…………….of togetherness.

More to come in the next Chapter.

Luv

Rekha

CHAPTER 4- The TamBrahm Noodles/Maggi – Sevai

Nandu is deep in thoughts as to what her mamiyaar (MIL) has in mind about dinner.  They were to go for the late night show and she was eagerly looking forward to it.  She however kept mum as she could not gather the guts to tell her MIL as it was taboo for a DIL to voice out her desires (more so when she was just four weeks old in that household) .

Amidst the calm and quiet afternoon, her MIL calls out “Nandini……………….”. Though her mamiyaar (MIL) had a stern look and voice, she however developed a liking for Nandu.  She tells Nandu that her Anna (brother) was visiting their home first time with family. Rolling out parothas or making dosais would be quite strenuous so she tells Nandu to make Sevai (The TamBrahm Maggi or noodles).

Nandu slowly whispers within herself “Seevaaaaaaaaaaaai”- never in her life had she made those. Her face is filled with a little fear and nervousness and she just wished her husband was around. She could cry and tell him that she did not know how to make it. First of all she did not like that tiffin and secondly, she had never even bothered to check with her amma as to how to make it.  Everytime her mother would say “Nandini, please come and help me in the kitchen, it’s tiffin time”.  She would quietly go to the verandah reading a book.  Now she realized how important it was to learn making Sevai most of all.

All her hopes of dressing up in her pattu saree, wearing malligai poo and going with her husband for the late night movie went down the drains.  But that was Nandu’s least problem.  She had read about how a fairy or genie appears and fulfills one’s wish. At that point in time, Nandini wished her mother appeared and would help her.  But does that happen in Real life- Find out in CHAPTER V.

Luv

Rekha

Chapter 3 - The Srirangam Saga

The vessels looked different from her home

Nandu’s day starts. She is now learning how to grind the spices that would be used for cooking at her new home.   All the conventional pots and pans in the store room are removed.  She cleans them and her mamiyaar (MIL in Tamil) teaches her the proportion of spices that needs to go into the grinding and that needs to be followed in that household.  The karandis and kadhais are different from the ones that she used at her own.  These are much heavier in weight and she found it difficult to pick up those without any help, but she had to do it.

The heat is too much and she is sweating as there is one old fan and it is as good as not having one.  The constant sound that is created is more of a nuisance but she can’t lose her cool or show her emotions especially when her mother in law is checking out just like a supervisor.  Throughout the day Nandu has work but the only grace period is when her mother in law goes for her afternoon siesta.  That time is Nandu’s.   Lunch is done and then is the cleaning of the kitchen utensils (very few days there is help).

The one thing that she adores doing is looking at herself in the mirror.  She adores herself in the mirror and she quickly tries to check her own statistics.  Nandu is actually measuring herself.   It’s been two months since her wedding and she finds herself adding inches at the right place.  She smiles and is shying from looking at the mirror.  Her face glows in the dim light that is passing through the window.  Suddenly , she recollects the last night happenings and smiles more.

She has this rapid heat heating up her entire body and she is sweating.   The red cotton chungadi saree seems to fall at the right places and she falls asleep when she suddenly hears her mother in law calling out to her for her evening kaapi.  She gets up, adjusts her pallu, ties her hair (though few strands of hair) fall on her face.  Nandu quickly goes to the courtyard, pulls water from the well and splashes water.  Yes, she is fresh now to start the remaining part of her day’s work (rather late evening work).

She makes herself  Kaapi and feels rejuvenated after having it.  The heat of the spices and the masalas are also adding up heat and Nandini is getting prettier day after day. What’s in store – Check the next one  !!!

Luv

Rekha

p.s  Thank you Thank you Thank you all for reading my blog.  It means a lot to me.

HIS home now becomes HER home – Nandini is the ideal DIL

Nandu !!!! This is how he calls her everytime, actually he breathes NANDU.  Nandu is short for Nandini.  She remembered how he had nicknamed her on the first night.  No one had spelt her name so beautifully the way he did.  It felt heavenly for her as she had never expected some one to call her name so beautifully.  She started to love her name, love herself.   It was just one day of her marriage and she was the coy bride trying hard to make sure her MIL was happy(most of all).  Trying to understand from his amma, now her amma, the culinary skills and the practice that they followed.  Nandu did not have great experience in cooking , but she was highly will powered and wanted to keep everyone happy, most of all her husband.  The beautiful red saree with the green border and the jasmine flowers looked so beautiful.  She looked every bit the new bride with golden, red and green glass bangles and the sindoor.  He slowly walked up to the kitchen making sure that his amma was not around.  A gentle peck on her neck took her breath away.  That was the first time he whispered Nandu in her ears and she went completely pink.  He vanished within few minutes before she could even realize that he had to get ready to leave for office.  

Oh so now we know the story of the mischievous smile when she was putting kolam in the courtyard.  It took her back memory lane.  Beautiful unforgettable memories.

It was that day and till today,  everytime he called out Nandu, she would be on her feet,  the sound of the anklets and the metti (silver bichua)in Tamil would make the sweet noise when she walked round her home (this home was now her home).  This is what every girl is taught by her parents. 

More to come in the 3^rd Chapter!!

Luv

Rekha

The Srirangam Tam Brahm Iyer Mami– Conventional yet unconventional!!!

Hi all,

This is just my attempt to scribble down my thoughts about those memories and sequence of events and few random musings here and there during my visits to South India.

The characters of any of these have no resemblance to anyone. These are characters re-created by me and I have just given life to these (with my thoughts and emotions).  The characters may or may not be a combination of few people and who seem to have hit a cord in my mind.

Chapter 1

The Srirangam Saga!!

The Srirangam Tam Brahm Iyer Mami– Conventional yet unconventional!!!

It was just like another day in the morning,  Monday morning blues as we call it but for her it was just another day of cooking, cleaning, washing, making piping hot and sumptuous food for her family and looking every bit the beautiful housewife( homemaker does sound better tho’).  She had a beautiful name Nandini and beautiful, big and black eyes that could sweep a man off his feet.  Nandini had every bit of feminine grace and sex appeal (that’s what men term it as).  With a Dravidian womanly built, slightly bulky below, saree suited her the best and she would walk with that feminine grace which will make your knees go weak.

Her day started with the typical rice flour kolam that adorned the courtyard of every home.  She would first wipe the courtyard, her saree not worn perfectly though, tied here and there, hair falling on her face, half dried flowers but the lingering fragrance of the malligai flowers (malli poo) still on every inch of her body.  The kolam strokes are beautiful and even when she is putting those she has a mischievous smile on her face (she is thinking something) and giving us space to ponder of what is going on in her mind.

She realizes that it’s already 6.30 and she had to keep the white colored idlis and the molagapodi (fresh ground gun powder) ready for her family.  Oh yes, her family, a husband who worked at the Government office and 2 kids a son and a daughter(beautiful just like her).  I forgot, she had her in laws too.  Nandini was every bit the religious daughter in law and her in laws loved her.  Who would not? She attended to everyone just like the Gitanjali express.

Folks, more to come about this short story (if I may say so).. so stay tuned!!!!!

Luv

Rekha

Keep the BALANCE SHEET of your LIFE simple and clean

I am the Chartered Accountant of my LIFE  and I know fully well how to balance the Balance Sheet of my LIFE.

It was just few months that this happened.  May be it was the last day of the school and I saw so many kindergarten children flock and were saying good bye to each other.  I am sure they would be feeling so happy that vacation was coming and they could play the entire day.  Many of these kids would have fought with each other during the school and also forgot that they fought.  But the best thing about kids is that they do not carry forward these feelings of animosity.  As we grow up, we forget these simple things.  With growing up, our ego also grows.

We need to learn a lot from these kids.  They live every day like a new day that’s the reason for their everbeaming smile and happiness.  Why do we as adults have so much of pent up emotions and feelings within us.  We somehow have built a wall around us and are not able to let go of certain events and incidents in life. The reason is that we forget that we need to be child like at heart.  That’s how life has to be lived. Ego rules us whether we want to believe it or not.

Two kids will fight like the worst of enemies and yet the next day you will find them hugging each other and walking with arms on shoulder.  It’s actually as simple as that. Everyday needs to be dealt with within those 24 hours itself and we need to settle that debt then and there within that specific time.

Carrying it the next day is going to be problematic for the balance sheet of your LIFE.   When the Balance sheet tallies, you definitely do not need an External Auditor to audit your LIFE.  Your conscience is your biggest auditor.

Love and blessings always!!

Rekha

Be Different but don’t forget the real YOU – Fall in love with your LIFE!!!

The sooner we fall in love with ourselves and our life, the easier it is to accept things and situations in life - Rekha Mahadevan

On days when I am bored, I love to do something different.  But I make sure when doing it, I try not to forget the real ME.  I love the way I am and my uniqueness, my traits, my manners, my mannerisms and all the crazy stuff that I do and love doing.  I am unapologetically myself.

I love me and this is what makes me love the things, the people around me and this is what keeps me going and happy. Things which I try once in a while are shopping for clothes that are totally new to me and that gives a step up to my personality.  Trying a new haircut is something that I would never have tried over the years, but I have cajoled my inner brain to do it, just for a change.  But the real ME is still there, very much grounded and rock solid.

One of the teenagers asked me the other day “What does pretty mean”.  My answer was simple. I said pretty is YOU because there can no one be like you and so what is different is pretty.  Am sure she was a little confused with the philosophical jargon, but minutes later, I could find a smile on her face and she went back happy and with a little more confidence in her bag.

The simplest thing to do is to Fall in love with your life because it is yours and you don’t have to justify doing it to anyone, other than YOU.

Love

Rekha

p.s.  Expressing gratitude and Thanks every minute of our very being on this wonderful planet is like attracting beauty and peace in every sphere of our life.